The Role of Social Media Marketing During a Crisis

With so many people stuck in their homes with nowhere to go, screen time is at an all-time high. People are on social media now more than ever before. That’s who now is the time to shift your focus on building your brand — and doing so through social media marketing, even amid a crisis.

Here are some ways to adapt your digital marketing strategy to today’s reality:

Be responsible.

As a brand with a platform, you have a responsibility to share the reality of the global pandemic and what people can do to adapt. Whatever industry you may be in, everyone is experiencing the same unfortunate reality of COVID-19 and your audience wants to be reassured that you’re aware of its impact on society.

Share ways that people can help others — or help themselves during this time. Not only does this shine a positive light on the situation, but also on your organization for taking the right measures for the good of the people.

Be compassionate.

It doesn’t take a genius to understand how important compassion is at this point in time. Your audience wants to feel heard and understood, whether it has to do with your brand or not. This is a unique time in which brands can really brainstorm creative ways to help others and make a positive difference.

Now is not a time to be greedy or profit hungry. That only rubs people the wrong way, and pushes people away from the brand you’ve worked hard to build. If you respect others, they will respect you in return.

These times bring to mind the words of Maya Angelou, who famously said:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Be transparent.

At this point, there’s no shame in admitting defeat with some aspects of your business. Everyone understands the struggle. Be transparent with your audience, whether it be acknowledging low inventory or having to put a pause on certain operations.

Being transparent only builds on the trust you’ll want from your audience in the long run. If you use strategic social media marketing during a crisis, when you’re ready to come back at 100%, your audience will come back with you.